Thematic Analysis Lemonade - Beyonce

FREEDOM Tryna rain, tryna rain on the thunder Tell the storm I'm new I'ma walk, I'ma march on the regular Painting white flags blue Lord forgive me, I've been running Running blind in truth I'ma rain, I'ma rain on this bitter love Tell the sweet I'm new

I'm telling these tears, "Go and fall away, fall away" May the last one burn into flames

Freedom! Freedom! I can't move Freedom, cut me loose! Freedom! Freedom! Where are you? Cause I need freedom too! I break chains all by myself Won't let my freedom rot in hell Hey! I'ma keep running Cause a winner don't quit on themselves

[Kendrick Lamar:] Ten Hail Marys, I meditate for practice Channel 9 news tell me I'm movin' backwards Eight blocks left, death is around the corner Seven misleadin' statements 'bout my persona Six headlights wavin' in my direction Five-O askin' me what's in my possession Yeah, I keep runnin', jump in the aqueducts Fire hydrants and hazardous Smoke alarms on the back of us But mama, don't cry for me, ride for me Try for me, live for me Breathe for me, sing for me Honestly guidin' me I could be more than I gotta be Stole from me, lied to me, nation hypocrisy Code on me, drive on me Wicked, my spirit inspired me yeah, open correctional gates in higher desert Yeah, open our mind as we cast away oppression Yeah, open the streets and watch our beliefs And when they carve my name inside the concrete I pray it forever reads

Fighting a fight Not giving up Self capable Individuality

World against me Death is near Racially stereotyped Disappointment Loyalty/trust Rid of oppression Legacy of truth Legacy of freedom

LOVE DROUGHT Ten times out of nine, I know you're lying But nine times outta ten, I know you're trying So I'm trying to be fair And you're trying to be there and to care And you're caught up in your permanent emotions All the loving I've been giving goes unnoticed It's just floating in the air, lookie there Are you aware you're my lifeline, are you tryna kill me If I wasn't me, would you still feel me? Like on my worst day? Or am I not thirsty, enough? I don't care about the lights or the beams Spend my life in the dark for the sake of you and me Only way to go is up, skin thick, too tough

Cause you, you, you, you and me could move a mountain You, you, you, you and me could calm a war down You, you, you, you and me could make it rain now You, you, you, you and me could stop this love drought

Nine times out of ten, I'm in my feelings But ten times out of nine, I'm only human Tell me, what did I do wrong? Feel like that question has been posed I'm movin' on I'll always be committed, I been focused I always paid attention, been devoted Tell me, what did I do wrong? Oh, already asked that, my bad But you my lifeline, think you tryna kill me? If I wasn't Bey, would you still feel me? Like on my worst day? Or am I not thirsty, enough? I don't care about the lights or the beams Spend my life in the dark for the sake of you and me Only way to go is up, them old bitches so wack I'm so tough, wassup?

Liar Putting in effort Lack of acknowledgment Dependence

Strong relationship Our solution is us

I’m emotional I never messed up I am loyal Made sacrifices

FORMATION Y'all haters corny with that illuminati mess Paparazzi, catch my fly, and my cocky fresh I'm so reckless when I rock my Givenchy dress (stylin') I'm so possessive so I rock his Roc necklaces My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils Earned all this money but they never take the country out me I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag

[Refrain: Beyoncé] Y'all haters corny with that illuminati mess Paparazzi, catch my fly, and my cocky fresh I'm so reckless when I rock my Givenchy dress (stylin') I'm so possessive so I rock his Roc necklaces My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils Earned all this money but they never take the country out me I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag

[Chorus: Beyoncé] I see it, I want it, I stunt, yellow-bone it I dream it, I work hard, I grind 'til I own it I twirl on them haters, albino alligators El Camino with the seat low, sippin' Cuervo with no chaser Sometimes I go off (I go off), I go hard (I go hard) Get what's mine (take what's mine), I'm a star (I'm a star) Cause I slay (slay), I slay (hey), I slay (okay), I slay (okay) All day (okay), I slay (okay), I slay (okay), I slay (okay) We gon' slay (slay), gon' slay (okay), we slay (okay), I slay (okay) I slay (okay), okay (okay), I slay (okay), okay, okay, okay, okay Okay, okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, cause I slay Okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, cause I slay Prove to me you got some coordination, cause I slay Slay trick, or you get eliminated

[Verse: Beyoncé] When he fuck me good I take his ass to Red Lobster, cause I slay When he fuck me good I take his ass to Red Lobster, cause I slay If he hit it right, I might take him on a flight on my chopper, cause I slay Drop him off at the mall, let him buy some J's, let him shop up, cause I slay I might get your song played on the radio station, cause I slay I might get your song played on the radio station, cause I slay You just might be a black Bill Gates in the making, cause I slay I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making

[Bridge: Beyoncé] Okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, I slay Okay, ladies, now let's get in formation You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper

Haters Fresh styled clothing Mixed colored female Unapologetically Black Won’t forget roots

Motivated Hard-working Capable

Show your cooperation

Reward my man May become rich

Controversy Get rich

Put like codes together to come up with a theme for each box

Like codes: Fighting a fight; not giving up; motivated; capable; unapologetically black; get rich = DETERMINATION Like codes: strong relationship; solution is us; reward my man; made sacrifices; loyalty/trust = LOVE Like codes: legacy of freedom; legacy of truth; controversy; won’t forget roots; haters; racially stereotyped; death is near; world against me; oppression = INJUSTICE

What did I do? I studied the lyrics from Beyonce’s Lemonade album, specifically using the songs Freedom, Formation, and Love Drought by using a qualitative research technique called Thematic Analysis. It is a way to analyze text for deeper meanings. by coding the lyrics that answer the question, “What is going on here.” The lyrics were analyzed about every line or every three lines in the song. That was my unit of analysis. A one-to-three-word phrase was used to summarize each line or each few lines. After coding, like coded terms were placed in boxes and those terms were summarized, answering the question, “What is going on here. Here are the results.” The Lemonade album is Beyonce’s 6th studio album released in April of 2016 and debuted at #1. Beyonce took home two Grammy’s this year from the Lemonade album. Results: The first theme was Determination. It was characterized by the following like codes (Fighting a fight; not giving up; motivation; capability; unapologetically black; getting rich). Some of the lyrics that illustrates the theme of determination include “I see it, I want it, I dream it, I work hard, I grind till I own it” or “Ima keep running cause a winner don’t quit on themselves”. Theme 2 was Love. It was characterized by the following like codes (strong relationship; solution is us; reward my man; made sacrifices; loyalty/trust). A part of the lyric that illustrates the theme of love was when Beyonce said, “Cause you and me could move a mountain. You and me could make it rain now. You and me could calm a war down.”. The third theme was Injustice. It was characterized by the following like codes (legacy of freedom; legacy of truth; controversy; won’t forget roots; haters; racially stereotyped; death is near; world against me; oppression). A part of the lyric that illustrates the theme of Injustice is when Kendrick Lamar says, “six headlights headed in my direction, five-O asking me about my possessions” speaking about being stopped and frisked. Beyonce also says “Freedom! where are you? Because I need freedom too”.

Discussion: What did you learn? I learned that the entire lemonade album has multiple themes going on throughout the album, speaking on injustice and oppression, love in Beyonce’s relationship, and Beyonce’s day to day “grind”. I also learned through the parts where Kendrick Lamar is that he has deeper meanings in his music that you can probably only truly understand by sitting down to read it and understand it, like a thematic analysis, not just listening to it with the music. What is the deeper meaning behind the album? I believe the album has several deeper meanings behind it. One meaning to empower colored people to “grind and work hard” in their day to day activities and to aspire to greatness. I also believe the album is designed to open the dialogue about discrimination happening within African American communities and life struggles.